At a time when a lot of confusion surrounds the possible time frame for the release of Apple's next-gen iPhone, rumors and speculations related to the device's features are spreading like wildfire. Adding to the heat, new reports have said that Apple recently filed a couple of patent applications which might turn up as key features in future iDevices like iPhone and iPad.

According to a report in ITProPortal, the Cupertino tech giant had recently filed a patent titled Electronic Device Operation Adjustment Based on Face Detection, which details the way a device can act when it recognizes its user.

The new patent application by Apple describes an electronic device having at least a front facing image capture device and a front facing display device arranged to display visual content. The device would capture a user's image, weigh it against the predetermined set of data stored and then unlock and load a user's profile, said the report.

The new face unlock feature would be more secure than and different from other similar applications because in cases when the user is not recognized, the device won't give alternative choices like asking for a security code in order to unlock.

As per the patent application, the facial data can be used to determine an orientation of the human face relative to the orientation of the presented visual content. In other words, the electronic device can determine if the orientation of the presented visual content is substantially the same, or different, than the orientation of the human face.

Another ITProPortal report suggested that the next iPhone's camera could be equipped with augmented reality features, allowing the camera not only to capture images but also to interpret them and put information into context.

The new technology was revealed through a recent patent filing by Apple at the United States Patent Office. Apple has reportedly started working on the new technology, which would allow cameras in the future iOS devices to read ISBN numbers, bar codes and other pricing systems, phone numbers and more.

Wait, there's more to it. According to the patent filing, the technology would even allow users to use their iPhone camera to scan a movie poster or a magazine and then access any URL found directly from the picture. In addition, the camera would also be able to identify actors' faces and then provide the appropriate menu options for the information.

As said by ITProPortal, with the help of the new pattern recognition technology, users would be able to scan a phone number and then they would immediately get the option to add this number to contacts. In order to provide such pattern detection features, Apple relied on text recognition modules that process optical character recognition, the report added.

According to details provided by Patently Apple, the system executes contextual processing, while the user interface delivers the contextual processing command option based on the data type of the pattern in the textual information.

How Would The Next iPhone Look Like?

Some earlier rumors suggested that Apple's sixth generation smartphone, aka iPhone 5, would adopt a teardrop design. If recent rumors are to be believed, the new iPhone would be symmetrical in shape with an aluminum rear panel reinforced by a glossy plastic or rubberized bezel.

A recent post in Patently Apple gave rise to another set of rumors last month suggesting that the iPhone 5 is likely to feature ultrasonic bonding to get stronger. The post said ultrasonic bonding can be useful for making stronger, lasting bond than using adhesives to hold different materials together.

Given that the new iPad has Retina display with a groundbreaking 2048 x 1536 resolution, the next iPhone is also expected to feature something higher in terms of its display. While some recent reports suggest that the phone will sport a large 4.6-inch screen, reports surfaced last week said that Apple would consider the current 3.5-inch screen size. Some other sources also said that the device will sport Quantum Dot LED curved glass edge-to-edge display with 1280 x 720 resolutions (367ppi). There are reports that suggest that the new iPhone will have an edge-to-edge display, making the smartphone even more appealing for Apple fans.

What Would Be The Key Features in The Next iPhone?

Considering Android smartphones are increasingly coming with 8 megapixel camera, the iPhone 5 is also expected to feature something similar or even higher. Some speak about an 8 megapixel or even 10 megapixel camera and the possibility of taking pictures in the panorama mode. Rumors also suggest that the iPhone 5 will have a 2 megapixel front-facing camera for video chatting.

In March, a DigiTimes report cited unnamed sources within the Taiwan-based smartphone manufacturer, who claimed that the next generation iPhone would very likely contain an embedded 4G LTE radio. Given that the new iPad came with 4G LTE support, the probability of LTE technology being incorporated in Apple's next iPhone cannot be ignored right away.

Many reports said that the NFC technology would also be featured in the upcoming Apple phone. A recent report by the Insane Planet said that the NFC technology on the iPhone 5 is becoming a huge possibility. The report cited a Patently Apple post regarding an Apple patent application about iWallet and NFC and said that Apple had granted a patent for iWallet to payments via NFC and diagrams passed from Apple to the Patent & Trademark Office in the US shows an iPhone which may possibly be the iPhone 5.

Rumors are also rife that an A6 processor will power the next iPhone. It will be a superfast 1.2 to 1.5 GHz processor with 1GB or more of RAM to offer amazing processing capabilities to the smartphone.

As far as the operating system is concerned, iOS 6 is highly anticipated. Apple released iOS 5.1, an incremental update to iOS 5 on March 7. The current iPhone 4S and the new iPad will run the latest iOS update, says Apple. Since every new Apple device comes with an upgraded version of the company's mobile operating system, speculations are rife that an update to iOS 6.0 is possible by the time of the iPhone 5 release.

Apple fans are also hoping for an improvised battery to be incorporated in the iPhone 5. As per the rumor, the phone will have a better battery life than the Li-Po 1420 mAh battery in iPhone 4S that gives up to 8 hours of talk time on 3G and up to 14 hours on 2G (GSM).